Relief and resolve in Minneapolis after guilty verdict in Chauvin trial

'A dark cloud has been lifted': residents react to Chauvin verdict, 11 months after George Floyd's killing

A makeshift tombstone for George Floyd near the spot where he was murdered by former police officer Derek Chauvin. Willy Lowry / The National

On a cold, bleak morning in Minneapolis, the mood on Wednesday was anything but.

Tiffany Blomgren and her seven-year-old son Greer stood in front of the Cup Foods on the corner of 38th and Chicago, staring quietly at the place where George Floyd, who was black, took his last breaths under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer.

Covered in flowers, candles and paintings, the site has become a shrine to Floyd.

His death from asphyxiation when the officer, Derek Chauvin, restrained him last year sparked weeks of global protests and mass unrest across the US, laying bare the racial injustices that have persisted here for centuries and the unequal treatment people of colour frequently endure from police.

"We said this is a place to remember him but now it's also a place to celebrate him, so we wanted to come and see and have those feelings of comfort and then also support for the community," Ms Blomgren told The National.

Tiffany Blomgren brought her seven-year-old son Greer to George Floyd Square the morning after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges against him. Willy Lowry / The National

A block away from George Floyd Square, as the intersection is now known, dozens of paper tombstones lined a drainage field.

On each tombstone, in simple black writing, was the name of someone who has been killed by police in the US.

At the front is the marker for George Floyd. Flowers have been placed in the surrounding grass.

Lisa and Rick Wheeler watched as their nearly three-year-old grandson Felix weaved through the tombstones.

They know Felix is too young to understand why they were there, but they wanted him to know when he grows up that he was present for a defining moment in US history.

“This is a generational memory,” Ms Wheeler said. “It’s a point in history and hopefully a very important point.”

The collective sense of relief could be felt in cities across the US after Chauvin was convicted of all three counts against him, including third-degree murder.

Fears abated of a new wave of unrest that could have ensued if Chauvin had been acquitted, and people celebrated in the streets after the verdicts were announced.

“It’s like a dark cloud has been lifted,” resident Aaron Taylor said.

But he said the verdict was only the start of what needed to happen in a country where police – who are granted sweeping latitude to use deadly force – are seldom held accountable in the killings of black people.

“There is still a lot more work to be done to where people of colour can drive down the street and not be profiled or have a situation like this ever happen again,” Mr Taylor said.

Jamil Stamschror-Lott, a therapist, who lives just a few streets from where Floyd was killed, said he was surprised by the verdict.

“Black folks have learned not to get their hopes up too high as it relates to these tragic matters,” he said. “US history has shown us we will have it quickly stripped away.”

Mr Stamschror-Lott said the past year had taken a tremendous toll on the city’s black community.

A picture of an angel marks the location of where George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. Willy Lowry / The National

He noted that while yesterday’s verdict was a step in the right direction, it came under the shadow of another police killing in the area.

Last week, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old father, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb. His death sparked further protests in the city and many people said their attention now will turn to the officer who fatally shot him.

The officer, Kim Potter, immediately resigned and has been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter. Wright is to be buried on Thursday.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Wednesday that the US Justice Department is opening an investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis.

“Yesterday’s verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Mr Garland said.

The new investigation will review the entire police department and may result in major changes to policing there.

Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, wipes tears from his eyes as he speaks during a news conference after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin is convicted in the killing of George Floyd. AP Photo

The Rev. Jessie Jackson speaks at a news conference as the Rev. Al Sharpton looks on following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. AFP

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is led away in handcuffs after a jury found him guilty on all counts in his trial for second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Reuters

Thousands of people gathered at the site where George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, to celebrate Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict. Willy Lowry / The National

A man pumps his fist from out his car window after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of 3 counts in the death of George Floyd. Willy Lowry / The National

A man holds a George Floyd banner outside the Hennepin County Government Centre where former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty. Willy Lowry / The National

People gather outside the Hennepin County Government Centre. Willy Lowry / The National

A man holds a portrait of George Floyd outside the Hennepin County Government Centre. Willy Lowry / The National

A man holds an infant in his lap as he celebrates the verdict in Derek Chauvin's trial. Willy Lowry / The National

A person celebrates in their car after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all charges. Willy Lowry / The National

A man holds a portrait of George Floyd outside the Hennepin County Government Centre. Willy Lowry / The National

A man plays the sousaphone in George Floyd Square. Willy Lowry / The National

A shrine to black lives lost to police brutality at George Floyd Square. Willy Lowry / The National

Charles McMillan and Genevieve Hansen, witnesses who testified in the trial, embrace in George Floyd Square after the verdict was read in the Derek Chauvin trial. AFP

Paris Stevens, cousin of George Floyd, speaks at George Floyd Square after the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP

Mourners gather for a vigil for George Floyd following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP

Porchse Queen Miller and others march through the streets after the verdict was announced for Derek Chauvin in Atlanta, United States. AFP

Georgia state representative Erica Thomas hugs her daughter while listening to speakers speak before marching through the streets after the verdict was announced for Derek Chauvin in Atlanta. AFP

People celebrate at the George Floyd Square after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. EPA

A person pays his respect at a mural of George Floyd after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of Floyd, in Denver, Colorado. Reuters

People gather at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue following the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. AFP

A woman places a placard at a makeshift memorial with the image of Daunte Wright after the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty of the death of George Floyd, in New York City, New York. Reuters

A protester holds a poster displaying the portrait of Ma'Khia Bryant as people gathered to the news that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges in the murder of George Floyd in Los Angeles, Californi. EPA

Shannon Haynes talks to her son Ronald Haynes, 9, about George Floyd in front of a memorial following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. AFP